Game for amusement

ABSTRACT

Game for amusement employs small sponge elastic ball and two relatively small flat disclike targets dimpled to form central, pointed protrusions at undersides. Discs are placed at a set distance apart, points down, to position targets at slight angles to hard playing surfaces. Each player in turn aims ball at high side of opponents target with object to flip it completely over.

United States Patent Robert V. Henry 1769 Beryl, Altron,0hio 44312 863,611

Oct. 3, 1969 Oct. 5, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented GAME FOR AMUSEMENT 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 273/95 R, 273/102. l Int. Cl A63b 63/00 Field of Search 102, l02.l, 106, I28

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,261,448 1 l/194l Peterson 273/95 E Primary Examiner-Anton O, Oechsle Assistant ExaminerMarvin Siskind Attorneywilliam Cleland ABSTRACT: Game for amusement employs small sponge elastic ball and two relatively small flat disclike targets dimpled to form central, pointed protrusions at undersides. Discs are placed at a set distance apart, points down, to position targets at slight angles to hard playing surfaces. Each player in turn aims ball at high side of opponents target with object to flip it completely over.

ATENTED 0m 5 m lNvmJ R Robert Henrj ttern y GAME FOR AMUSEMENT BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In the past various types of games have been available in which balls were aimed at relatively fixed targets, usually having cups or pockets for capturing the balls, or having mechanical means to trigger some kind of scoring action. Generally speaking such games have been too complicated to maintain and use, or the scoring procedure in time became too boring to remain popular. Games of this general type employing a plurality of playing pieces separate from a target member became more and more unpopular as playing pieces were lost or misplaced.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The game of the invention is relatively simple, as it employs only one ball and two diselike targets, placed on hard surface areas about twenty feet apart for adults and lesser distance apart for youngsters. Each target may be a flat disclike target with a central tapered protuberance on one side so that the spaced apart targets will rest on the hard surface at a slight angle. Each player at his respective target area takes turns tossing the ball at the other player's target, aiming at the elevated edge to cause the target to flip over on target area. Point scoring is determined by flipping the other player's target over, by a certain distance that the target is moved, and by the opponents failing to catch a ball after it hits the target.

A general object of the invention is to provide a simple ball and disclike target game of the character described in which there are no mechanical or other devices to complicate the game or to be lost and wherein there are no markings or devices used on or with the disclike target to become obliterated, misplaced, or lost.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings:

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a disclike target embodying the features of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an edge view of the target shown in FIG. 1, on the same scale and partly broken away and in section.

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, but on a reduced scale, illustrating in full lines the target at rest on a hard smooth playing surface and a protuberance on the underside thereof maintaining the plane of the target at a slight inclination to the surface, and also illustrating the high point of the target being impacted by a tossed ball calculated to impact the target with sufficient force to flip it over in the air.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, illustrating the target partially flipped over as the ball rebounds away from the point of impact with the target.

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIGS. 3 and 4, illustrating the target flipped over and at rest upside'down on the playing surface, as a result of the effective impact of the ball, substantially as shown in full and chain-dotted lines in FIG. 3.

Referring particularly to FIGS. I and 2, and to FIGS. 3 to 5, in general, there is illustrated a planer disclike target which may be stamped by suitable die means to provide a central dimpled portion ll forming a shallow conical protuberance 12 on the underside of the disclike target. The target 10, for example, may be on the order of about 6 inches in diameter with the protuberance 12 extending to a point about onefourth inch from the underside of the target. These dimensions may vary considerably, depending upon proportions and weight of the target as well as the size and weight of the ball B. A ball suitable for the purposes of the invention may be sponge rubber or like elastic material, and of such relatively small size to permit the same to be firmly gripped in the fingers of the hand for throwing or tossing purposes. The disc or target 10 may be stamped or otherwise suitably formed metal, plastic or other material of appropriate weight.

The unbalancing nature of the target 10, is such that regardless of how it is dropped on the playing surface P with the central protuberance l2 pointed downward, it will selfoperatively tilt one way or another toward engagement of a rim edge portion 13 with surface P, as shown in full lines in FIG. 3.

In playing the target game of the invention, two such discs or targets 10 may be positioned on concrete or other relatively hard playing-surface areas P, about 20 feet apart, gravitationally to assume tilted position of rest on neutral equilibrium thereon, and in one of a multiplicity of directions generally as shown in full lines in FIG. 3. Opposing players positioned at opposite said playing surface areas, take turns tossing the elastic ball B with appropriate aim and force calculated to impact the high or elevated side edges or margins of the respective disclike target, thereby to depress said high side edges of the same against the respective surface P with sufficient force to cause the target to flip over, as shown in FIG. 4, and land flatwise in reversed condition of stable equilibrium on the playing surfaces, as shown in FIG. 5. The distances at which the target I0 are spaced apart may be varied according to the age levels and/or skills of the opposing players. Each target should be placed in an inclined position of rest by which the opposing player can see a maximum proportion of the top surface thereof.

Scoring in the game may, for example, be determined by a player throwing the ball to flip his opponent's target [0 over, from the full line initial position of rest shown in FIG. 3, through intermediate positions of movement represented in FIG. 4, to the inverted position of rest shown in FIG. 5. Arbitrarily, this may be termed a direct hit scoring three points. If, however, the target 10 is moved less than two widths of tar get 10 from a fixed marked point (not shown) on the respective target surface area P, with or without scoring a direct hit, the player scores one point, and two points if this distance of movement is two widths or more of target 10. Additionally, the player throwing the ball may score another point if his opponent fails to catch the ball after it strikes the target. No points are scored by the player if his thrown ball does not strike the target.

The game may be played with a teammate at each target area P, in which case the scoring is as described, except that the teammate stands with the opponent while his partner throws the ball toward the respective target I0. The teammate acts as a "catcher and if the "catcher" drops the ball after it strikes the target, the opposing team scores one point. Another variation in the game includes a requirement that the ball must strike the playing surface before striking the target, which of course requires more skill than the "direct hit" game described above.

Modification in the above described target-disc gamemeans may be resorted to without departing from the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a game for amusement, the combination of a ball with a planar disclike target having a circular periphery and provided with a centrally disposed, relatively small protuberance tapered substantially to a point and on the underside thereof for supporting the target self-operatively to assume a normal condition of neutral equilibrium on a flat playing surface thereby to have a general plane of the target inclined at an acute angle to said playing surface in one of a multiplicity of directions, whereby a tossed said ball is forcibly engageable with an elevated marginal edge portion of the inclined target to flip the same over into flatwise inverted engagement of the target wit the playing surface.

2. A game as in claim 1, employing a plurality of said targets at substantially spaced points, whereby players at each said point may toss a said ball at the inclined disc of an opponent to flip the same over.

3. A game as in claim 2, said ball being of smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the targets and of sufficient weight to accomplish said forcible flipping engagement with a said target.

4. A game as in claim I, said ball being sufliciently small to be gripped by the fingers of one hand, and of sufficient weight to accomplish said forcible flipping engagement with the inclined target. 

1. In a game for amusement, the combination of a ball with a planar disclike target having a circular periphery and provided with a centrally disposed, relatively small protuberance tapered substantially to a point and on the underside thereof for supporting the taRget self-operatively to assume a normal condition of neutral equilibrium on a flat playing surface thereby to have a general plane of the target inclined at an acute angle to said playing surface in one of a multiplicity of directions, whereby a tossed said ball is forcibly engageable with an elevated marginal edge portion of the inclined target to flip the same over into flatwise inverted engagement of the target wit the playing surface.
 2. A game as in claim 1, employing a plurality of said targets at substantially spaced points, whereby players at each said point may toss a said ball at the inclined disc of an opponent to flip the same over.
 3. A game as in claim 2, said ball being of smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the targets and of sufficient weight to accomplish said forcible flipping engagement with a said target.
 4. A game as in claim 1, said ball being sufficiently small to be gripped by the fingers of one hand, and of sufficient weight to accomplish said forcible flipping engagement with the inclined target. 